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The naturaf wonders of South America, twinnedwith its enchanting Latin beat, have long attractedvisitors, but the continent is increasingly attractingthe higher end of the market as a new wave ofl uxu r i ous accommoda t i on becomes moreaccessible. There are now direct ff ights with Brit ishAirways to Buenos Aires, for example, whichprovides the perfect gateway to the rest of thecontinent. From there, it is a mere hop to barefootluxury a long Uruguay's famed At lant ic coast -

where there has been a recent f lurry of design-ledboutique hotels opening - or to where the Andescradle the vineyards of Mendoza, home to newsmaller-scale wineries.

Buenos Aires is a vibrant, charming city: home ofthe tango, best seen at the restaurant Esquina deCarlos Guardel; of late dinners and long siestas; ofcafes - try Tortoni's Cafe, the city's oldest; and of

1 5 2 H O U S T & G A R D E N F I B R U A R Y 2 0 ] Z

writers, such as Jorge Luis Borges, who once said,' l tsmacks of f iction that Buenos Aires was everfounded. I judge her to be as eternal as the sea andwind.' lt was founded by the Spanish in the sixteenthcenturv and has, over the centuries, famouslybecome a melting pot of cultures. Head to theelegant tree-lined boulevards of Recoleta where,between the stylish shops, there are two lovelyhotels. The Alvear Palace is old-fashioned luxurypersonified, the best address in BA since it opened inthe Thirties, but for a recent take on urban chic,check into the city's f irst f ive-star boutique hotel,Algodon Mansion. lt is a gorgeously restored 1912vil la comprising just 10 rooms, a restaurant and arooftop plunge pool. The huge marble bathrooms aresumptuous, the bedrooms fi l led with Frette l inensand fresh flowers, creating the peaceful retreat thattwentv-first-century travel lers yearn for

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And so from the city to the coast, on a path wellt rodden by the r ich and famous, who summerhere. Once it was Punta del Este in Uruguay, but asit grew, the cognoscenti moved north to Josélgnacio. This l i t t le f ish ing v i l lage is a l l crashingwaves and golden sands, thatched cottages and asign as you enter, Aqui sola corre el viento'( 'Hereit is only the wind that runs'). And it certainly has asleepy feel; the recent addition of Playa Vik, astrikingly modern hotel designed by Uruguay'sleading architect, Carlos Ott, stands out. The mainbuilding is all t i tanium and glass, its interior f i l ledwith art by Anselm Kiefer, James Turrell and asculptural bench by Zaha Hadid. There are foursuites here, with the remaining accommodation insix two- and three-bedroom, glass-walled casas. lti s a b rea th tak ing who le , cu lm ina t i ng i n acant i levered b lack-grani te swimming pool that

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CLOCKWISE FROM THIS PICTUREThe strikingly modern playa Vikoverlooks the Uruguayan coast.Las Piedras was designed to mergeinto the surrounding landscape. TheMaster Suite Vik at Estancia Vik hasa wood-lined bathroom. The AlvearPalace's lobby personif ies Thirtiesluxury. Snow-capped peaks providea scenic backdrop to the Ruca Malenv¡neyard. The Cavas Wine Lodgenestles in the foothills of the Andes

ju ts out over the beach below. Infand, i ts s is terhotel, Estancia Vik, which opened in 2009, offers atraditional ranch-like atmosphere. lts 12 rooms aresteeped in Uruguayan art, and there are views ofhuge sk ies and open Iandscapes, cows at thewaterholes and horses to ride in the fresh dawn air.

Wel l -known chef Francis Mal lmann,s la testventure, the Hotel Garzón, is set in the dusty inlandvil lage of Garzón. lts f ive simple but comfortablerooms, and the seriously good restaurant, wil l nodoubt put th is far- f lung v i l lage on the map. l t isworth the drive for Mallmann,s courgette saladalone but don't miss his slow-cooked lamb either;and sit, i f you can, in the pretty courtyard.

With in s ight of the br ight l ights of punta delEste is another new, rural paradise. Las piedrasis the f i rs t venture outs ide thei r own bordersfor Brazi l ian hote l iers Fasano, and what an

achievement. Architect lsay Weinfeld has createda hote l that vanishes in to the magic of thelandscape. The swimming pool is formed from aspring-fed rock pool; boulders and butterfly-fi l ledshrubs f rame its blue waters. The ltalian restaurantserves the same subl ime menu as i ts Brazi l iansiblings and sits high on a rocky promontory abovethe 20 spacious bungalows that make up theaccommodat ion. Around you, in the undulat inq

Mary Lussiana travelled as a guest oft : ) ' ! , ' l ) , t , i | i t x ix ü i r : i r i l i and [ ¡ : t ; t , t ; (OZO-7337

9010; www.exsus.com), which can organisea similar trip to Buenos Aires, Mendozaand Uruguay, from f3,760 per person,

including fl ights and transfers.

pampas, are the hummingbirds and parakeets thatgave Uruguay its name,'river of the painted birds'.

From meadows to mountains: nothing preparedme for the beauty of waking up to see the sunr¡se over the snow-capped Andes. Mendoza isravishing: the sky an endless blue, the air sharp andclear. Verdant vineyards roll into the foothil ls ofthe Andes and amid th is beauty l ies the CavasWine Lodge. lt has 14 vil las dotted around the rowsof grapes, lavendei olives and broom. Each has aplunge pool, rooftop terrace with log fire, stone-floored bedroom, and rock-walled bathroom.

As we sat at the neighbouring Ruca Malen, oneof the new-wave wineries that has so redefinedthe fu l l -bodied Malbec, wi th a g lass of i t in ourhands, baking in the sunshine that made the topsof the Andes glisten, I felt I had reached a l itf lecorner of paradise !

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